| 释义 |
marvellous, a., (n.) and adv.|ˈmɑːvələs|
Forms: α. 4–7 merveil(l)ous, 4 mervilous, mervelis, merva(i)lous(e, mervellos, merveilows, 4–6 mervel(l)ous(e, 5 mervel(l)us, merveyllous, mervelo(i)se, merveyleux, -l(i)ouse, mervelious, mervelyows(e, merwalus, 6 mervaylous(e, 7 mervailous; β. 4 marvelliows, 5 marvelus, 5–6 marveylous, 6 marvaylus, marvayl(l)ous, (Sc.) marwolus, 7 marveilous, 6–9 marvelous, 6– marvellous. Superl. 4–5 merveillousest, -oust (-ous), mervelyouste(ste, merviloste, merveiluste, 6 marvelloussest.
[a. OF. merveillos (mod.F. merveilleux), f. merveille: see marvel n.1 and -ous. Cf. Sp. maravilloso, It. meraviglioso.]
A. adj.
a. Such as to excite wonder or astonishment; wonderful, astonishing, surprising.
13..K. Alis. 6445 Another folk bysyde ther is, Swithe merveillous folke, y-wis. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 228 Men norise childre þer inne, on merveilous wise. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. ix. 59 Þe Meruiloste Meetynge Mette I me þenne Þat euere dremede driht In drecchynge. a1400Stockh. Med. MS. 141 A maruelliows drink. a1400Morte Arth. 129 Sir Lucius..That es þe meruelyousteste mane þat on molde lengez. c1400Destr. Troy 1572 And all of marbill was made with meruellus bestes. c1410Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxxiv, For certeyne it is þe merueiluste beeste þat is. c1420Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1513 Where I behelde the meruelous story That euer I yet saw in any pycture. c1450Merlin iii. 56 Ther Pendragon dide merveloise knyghthode a-monge his enmyes. 1471Ripley Comp. Alch. v. x. in Ashm. (1652) 150 Lyke to the Raynbow mervelose unto syght. 1470–85Malory Arthur ii. xix. 99 Balyn and Balan foughte to gyders the merueillous batail that euer was herd of. 1502W. Atkynson tr. De Imitatione iii. v. 199 The marueylous warkes of god. 1533Gau Richt Vay (1888) 39 The marwolus conceptione and birth of Iesus Christ. 1548Latimer Ploughers (Arb.) 29 Moyses was a meruelous man, a good man. 1612T. Taylor Comm. Titus ii. 13 Finally, he shall be glorious, yea merueilous in his Saints. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvi. 148 Miracles are Marvellous workes: but that which is marvellous to one, may not be so to another. 1742Young Nt. Th. vii. 1423 We nothing know, but what is Marvellous; Yet what is Marvellous, we can't believe. 1802Wordsw. Resol. & Independ. vii, I thought of Chatterton, the marvellous Boy. 1894H. Drummond Ascent Man 352 Nature always makes her changes with a marvellous economy.
b. spec. Of poetic material: Concerned with the supernatural.
1715Pope Iliad Pref., Fable may be divided into the probable, the allegorical, and the marvellous... The marvellous fable includes whatever is supernatural, and especially the machines of the gods. 1869H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey II. 259 The marvellous element is introduced with such perfect simplicity..as to appear perfectly natural.
c. the marvellous: that which is prodigious or extravagantly improbable.
1749Fielding Tom Jones Contents viii. i, A wonderful long chapter, concerning the marvellous. 1755Johnson s.v., The marvellous is used, in works of criticism, to express any thing exceeding natural power, opposed to the probable. 1761Gibbon Misc. Wks. (1814) V. 488 The history of Richard I of England..is alluring by the marvellous. 1825Waterton Wand. S. Amer. i. ii. (1879) 127 The first have erred by lending a too willing ear to the marvellous. 1873M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma (1876) 53 The prodigies and the marvellous of Bible-religion are common to it with all religions.
d. marvellous apple = balsam apple: see balsam 10.
1578Lyte Dodoens iii. lxxxviii. 442 Charantia, Balsam apple, the male, Maruelous apples..the Marvelous apples are named Charantia. Ibid. 443 The Oyle of Momordica, or Maruelous Apples..putteth away al scarres and blemishes, if it be applyed thereto. 1866Hogg Fruit Man. (ed. 3) 31 (Apples) Marvellous. Fruit small and oblate.
e. Weakened use of sense a; also in affected use; also as Comb.
1924E. O'Neill Welded i. 94 You're going to be marvelous!.. It's going to be the finest thing we've ever done! Ibid. 97 The play was such a marvelous success! 1927L. Mayer Just between Us Girls ii. 13, I had no iDEA you were going, my dear—how SIMply MARvelous! 1931Amer. Speech VI. 181 No reviewer is fluent without adjectives..; ‘marvelous power’; ‘quiet beauty’. 1933M. Lincoln Oh! Definitely v. 57 ‘You write, don't you.’.. ‘Yes.’.. ‘Marvellous!’ she said with enormous sincerity, whilst her blue eyes shouted, ‘What piffle!’ Ibid. 58 ‘You must let me get you seats,’ I said. ‘Marvellous of you,’ said Ursula. 1950M. Lowry Let. 1 Mar. (1967) 190, I feel another million thanks are in order to..the Book Club for the marvelous-looking book.
†B. n. [= F. merveilleux.] An exquisite, dandy. Obs. rare.
1819Metropolis (ed. 2) II. 57, I did not stay very late at the party; and our marvellous promised to give us a list of the company..the ensuing day. [Cf. p. 59 Our military Exquisite.]
†C. adv. = marvellously. Obs.
c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 174 Sir, ouer meruailouse our duellyng here is hard. c1400Mandeville (1839) v. 52 Merveylouse grete & hye. 1530Rastell Bk. Purgat. Prol., Sayd yt he woldbe mervelous glad. 1535Coverdale Ps. cxliv. [cxlv.] 3 Greate is the Lorde, & maruelous worthy to be praysed. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. iv. i. 26, I am maruellous hairy about the face. 1621Burton Anat. Mel. ii. ii. iii. (1651) 264 The country..hath a marveilous fair prospect. 1664H. More Myst. Iniq. 408 Tò δέκατον τῆς πόλεως will have a sense marvellous coincident therewith. 1777Sheridan Sch. Scandal iv. i, Here's my great uncle, Sir Richard Ravelin, a marvellous good general in his day. |